Saturday, April 27, 2013

Joan is currently back in London to finish up her UK tour of 'One Night With Joan' with a final 3 shows at the Leicester Square Theatre.. This will be Joan's last UK performances of the show! This rare shot from the 80's features Joan signing for fans after an event in the UK...

Thursday, April 25, 2013

What's On - Dorset - News - Theatre

Review: One Night with Joan

This was a special night for Joan Collins fans. Taking the stage at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth the fabulously preserved and finely dressed actress gave an interesting performance, recounting fascinating tales and dishing out the anecdotes picked up from her many years on the silver screen.
It was a well-polished show, being the last night of her long tour. Her one woman show has travelled the length and breadth of the country and it was clear at times that our Joan had said it all before. However Ms Collins beamed as she talked of her happy childhood and her parents, going on to talk about her experiences in Hollywood. A highlight was hearing about her encounters with lecherous studio bosses and resisting their approaches even being warned early on by Marilyn Monroe to “watch out for the wolves in Hollywood!” Another gem of advice she was given was to use a stunt double for rougher scenes. This was good advice it seemed especially after a filmed fight with Linda Evans!
As she went on to talk about her co-stars in various movies a backdrop of film scenes appeared behind her. She loved Bob Hope and Paul Newman was lovely (who would disagree with that?!). Lots of other stars were mentioned and pictured. Treated to lots of her life stories, the audience laughed at the one about Peter Sellers turning up at her home dressed as a German storm trooper. His visit upset all the neighbours to such an extent that she and her husband at the time, Anthony Newley had to move.
Joan has always praised her present, husband Percy, and at the end of the performance he came on stage to read out questions from the audience. Joan says she hasn’t had any cosmetic surgery, but some advice she gave was never be without your lipstick!
And then it was time for her to leave.The long tour was over, and it was at last time for a rest for Joan.For more great shows go to www.bic.co.uk

Joan is seen here chatting to Nicholas Parsons at the London premiere of 'The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone' in 1961 which starred one of her favourite actresses Vivian Leigh and Joan's then's beau Warren Beatty, also in the picture!

As her one-woman show hits London, the legendary diva talks us through her favourite scraps from the '80s series

1. Alexis’s studio

‘My all time favourite was the first catfight I had with Krystle, played by Linda Evans. I’m in my studio and Krystle comes in and says something typically venomous. We’re soon hitting each other with pillows and the feathers are flying everywhere.’

2. Alexis’s atelier

‘Alexis has decided to become a dress designer and I’m in my atelier, in a yellow blouse and black trousers, when Krystle bursts in and starts fighting with me. We’re rolling all over the floor, feather boas everywhere, and she really goes at me, grabbing my hair and bashing my head against the floor.’

3. Queen Elizabeth I

‘I’m dressed in an utterly divine, pearl-encrusted Elizabeth I gown, which cost thousands of dollars, and Krystle and I are having a tug of war. We did this over several takes and eventually Krystle pulls the rope hard, and wins, with me falling face first into the mud. That gorgeous dress was utterly ruined.’

4. The lily pond

‘If I’d known that this was going to be so popular I’d have worn a better dress. As it was I had on a terrible polyester thing – most unflattering. Krystle was supposed to hit me, but before she connected the director was supposed to call “cut” and my double was supposed to go in. Unfortunately, the director didn’t call “cut”, so I got the full brunt of Linda Evans’s right hook on my chin. Now, Linda’s a big girl and she knocked me out. I ended up in the emergency ward. Oh, the perils of filmmaking!’

5. The mud hill

This was terribly difficult to do as we didn’t use doubles and I was in a very short skirt and consequently spent most of the time trying to hide my modesty. Krystle and I were rolling down a muddy hill, fighting, and when we finally got to the bottom we had to sit in this vile fuller’s earth. They then smeared chocolate on our faces and suddenly all these ants and bugs in the area descended upon us. We needed an entire team of people with fly swatters and bellows to get rid of them.’

Outdoors it may be grey and drizzly; the theatre may be in need of a scrub up; but onstage it’s pure starlight, as Joan Collins, enters in shimmering skintight sequins and a head of hair with more volume than a My Bloody Valentine gig.

Joan Collins on the secret of her success

Joan Collins on the secret of her success Joan Collins is quite possibly the most glamorous woman alive.

And, for one night only, she will be sharing some of her secrets with the people of Bournemouth when she takes to the Pavilion stage on Wednesday.
The actress, best known for her role as scheming Alexis Carrington in Dynasty, is currently touring the UK with her acclaimed one-woman show, One Night with Joan.
Theatregoers are promised an intimate evening in the company of a true English Hollywood legend as Joan, known for her engaging wit and frankness, regales the audience with stories from her celebrated career.

She talks of those legendary bitch-fights with Dynasty co-star Linda Evans and screens rare film footage from her life.
Joan promises to reveal all about her screen test for Cleopatra and why she lost the role to Elizabeth Taylor, her on-set encounters with the formidable Bette Davis and many others, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Paul Newman and Richard Burton.
Her relationships are also expected to be put under the spotlight – the woman who famously said: “I’ve never yet met a man who could look after me. I don’t need a husband. What I need is a wife!"
Her current husband is Percy Gibson and the couple live between their homes in Los Angeles, London, New York and the south of France.
As the brand ambassador and spokeswoman for a number of cosmetic, health and beauty companies Joan certainly knows her stuff.
She is also a big name in the fashion world, but has previously spoken of her lack of enthusiasm for many of today’s designers.
“Clothes today are not flattering to the average woman,” she told Saga magazine recently. “I come from an era in which a dress was made to flatter a woman. Now the woman has to make the dress look good. “Unless you’re 5ft 10in, 25 and weigh seven stone, you can’t look good in those things. You look stupid.”
But Joan admits she still feels the pressure to maintain a perfect hourglass figure, revealing at the launch of her show that she has pretty much spent her entire life on a diet, once even being prescribed the amphetamine speed to help her lose weight for a film role.
“Your hips always had to look slimmer, your face thinner,” she said.
“As an actress you are always on a diet when working. I was told to take speed to help get the weight off. At times I wouldn’t even get work because I was too fat.”
Joan admits she finds it hard to find good roles.
“In Hollywood you’ve flowered in your 20s, peaked in your 30s and it is rare for an actress to be a leading lady in her 40s and rarer still in her 50s.
“After that it is character parts if you’re lucky. After 60 a woman is like Africa.
Everyone knows where it is but nobody wants to go there.”
But she remains reluctant to reverse the years, after trying Botox once.
“It hurt like hell,” she said.

“You know what they say about plastic surgery? It’s the plain woman’s revenge.”

For more of Joan’s classic one-liners, see her at Bournemouth’s Pavilion Theatre on Wednesday, April 24.

Friday, April 19, 2013

by Bahman Mahdavi

Legendary Designer Mark ZuniNo Talks Fashion
Those who grew up with California native Mark Zunino would probably never have imagined seeing him where he is today. But a chance opportunity to work with legendary and Emmy Award-winning designer Nolan Miller helped to start Mark’s amazing career. Under Nolan, Mark worked with the defining women of glamour in Hollywood – Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Barbara Streisand, just to name a few. These experiences, his exposure to European fabric makers, and the couture business all tremendously influenced his focus on old Hollywood glamour. When launching his own line in 1998, Mark incorporated a modern interpretation to his label, which has been worn by top celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Heather Locklear. His success has led to new fashion lines including Mark of Style with QVC and Mark Zunino for Kleinfeld Bridal. But despite his busy schedule, Beverly Hills Lifestyle was able to catch up with Mark at Sofitel Los Angeles for an exclusive photo shoot featuring his gowns modeled by the top divas of television: Joan Collins, Donna Mills and Nadia Bjorlin.How did you get started?
I was originally studying architecture at Pepperdine and dabbling in graphic illustration. One of the required courses I took was fashion illustration, and the Professor happened to also be a costume designer. Something my father used to always say is that you can’t wait around for the phone to ring. Well, one day the phone did ring and it was my professor asking if I would be interested in applying to be the assistant fashion designer for Nolan Miller and Aaron Spelling for Spelling’s TV series Dynasty. I wanted to meet both of them, and long story short I got the job. The reason Nolan hired me was because he felt I had the talent and potential, and because I was a clean slate with no knowledge of fashion design. I could absorb a lot from Nolan and could learn from the ground up. When I told my family, my dad said, “You won’t throw away the education we just paid for you. I want to fly to LA and see what’s up.” The day he came we were working with Anne Margaret and Sophia Lauren. After that, my father said I could work there as long as I like.What is your process in creating your designs?
It can start in several different ways, such as from a silhouette or from a fabric. Sometimes it may be inspired by a vacation or an environment I am in. From there, it is non-stop sketching, and once I start on a concept I am passionate about, I give it to my pattern maker and together we start tweaking it. The creative process never stops. Eventually we fit it on a model, but it is still a continuously evolving process, all the way to the last stitch. We do not stop until we decide it is the perfect garment.Your designs are described as a modern reinterpretation of old Hollywood glamour. What is it that attracts you to this style?
I love glamour. Glamour is glamour. There is a certain formula that makes every woman feel sexy and the best they have ever felt. When I started, I worked with people like Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Lauren and absorbed their styles. I have carried this style when working with celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry, and when creating wedding gowns. There is an inner confidence that emits from a person when dressed glamorously, you can see it in the way she moves and walks. She becomes alive and that is what fashion is all about.What was the most valuable lesson you gained when working with Nolan Miller that you use in your designs today?
Starting from the inside out, like the foundation of a house. You can enhance the shape of a woman’s body and hide any flaws, making her feel better about herself.What inspired you to create a bridal collection and what has it been like compared to couture?
I see dressing a bride to walk down the aisle to be the same as dressing a celebrity to walk down the red carpet; it is that moment where all eyes are on her. She wants to look her best and I want her to feel her best.What can we expect to see next from you?
A lot. There are additional fashion projects that I am working on and a few movies that I have been asked to work in. Everything is changing right now and and it never stops being exciting.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Here is an exclusive look at the cover for Joan's new memoir 'A Passion For Life' due to be published on September 19th... Watch this space for full details! Having lived many lives when most of us only live
one, the stories of Joan Collins' adventures on film sets around the world, the
friendships she made, the triumphs and the near disasters could fill many books.
Encounters with Princess Diana, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the romantic story of
her courtship and marriage to Percy Gibson are among the new stories Joan
shares, in this latest instalment of her witty, wise and revelatory
memoirs.

Following on from where Second Act left off, the screen icon
reveals details of her life with her husband Percy, her
travels around the world, fun with family and friends, and shares more revealing
anecdotes about the fascinating people she has met during her life.

A
Passion for Life is - quite literally - an expression of the joie de vivre which
Joan exudes. Filled with fabulous never-before-seen images of her life, from
childhood to recent holiday snaps with Percy and her children, this is the
ultimate illustrated guide to the life of a British icon.

I have never been a girl to make a huge effort with my appearance. For me pulling out the stops involves whacking on some mascara and hoping for the best. But tonight I board the Piccadilly line with my hair straightened, my eyes carefully lined and I have even gone to the extreme lengths of donning a dress. The reason? I have a date at Leicester Square Theatre. A glamorous evening of indulgence; One Night with Joan Collins and one does want to look one’s best.

As a showreel of Dynasty clips commences with an American voice over introducing ‘Superbitch Alexis Carrington’ it seems the evening will be a rather formulaic showcase of Collins’ best known role. That is until the immaculately groomed star totters onto the stage in impossibly high sliver stilettos declaring “Stop! There was so much before that!” to raucous applause. As a woman who appeared on the cover of playboy at the age of 50, Joan has never been one to stick to formula.

As a woman who appeared on the cover of playboy at the age of 50, Joan has never been one to stick to formula”

Dressed in black sequined trousers and a sheer black evening top Joan begins at the beginning. Giving us a glimpse into her earliest memories as part of the showbiz Collins family, Joan treats the audience to family photographs of herself as a tot at the seaside. Receiving her first review at three ‘Joan Collins makes the fairest fairy’ the road to stardom was already paved. Long before the shoulder pads of Dynasty or the famous swing scene in The Stud a fresh faced 17-year-old Collins signed a contract with J. Arthur Rank. But it was with 20th Century Fox that she shot to international fame starring in The Girl on the Red Velvet Swing. Labelled as ‘England’s answer to Ava Gardener’ Collin’s describes the glamorous party lifestyle of Hollywood’s golden age which came at a price.

As part of her contract Collin’s had to shoot various scantily clad ‘Turn ’em on poses’ and was instructed to lose eight pounds from her already slimline frame. Later on Joan describes the inherent ageism in Hollywood and her refusal to let her advancing years stop her playing the role of the desirable female. Joan’s incredible story is narrated by various stills and video clips which are meticulously composed by production designer Oliver Sones. We even steal a glance at Collin’s screen test for Cleopatra; a role she never played due to her refusal to ‘be nice’ to the producers. Joan’s phenomenal success without resorting to the casting couch is part of what makes her such a formidable and inspiring figure. Not one for bitterness, Joan cites several occasions where she was told candidly that she would never make it in ‘this town’ which she repeats with a knowing smile and subtle shrug of the shoulders.

The show is truly a one off and impossible to replicate. My night with Joan is one I will never forget.

Collins relives the most notable events in her life with good humour and a no nonsense finiteness. Currently on husband number five, each unsuccessful marriage is summarised with an offhand ‘and that was divorce number... ’ As Joan describes being a mother, moving from London to LA and accepting roles which ‘would stretch her as an actress’ (cue clip from Empire of the Ants) her upbeat self reliance and willingness to poke fun at herself shines through. There is plenty of name dropping, this is a woman who has worked with Richard Burton, was snubbed by Joan Crawford and lusted after by Gene Kelly. Her account of meeting ‘a rather nondescript blonde girl’ who turned out to be Marilyn Monroe resulted in some very sage advice. The evening feels strangely intimate and though scripted and neatly directed by husband Percy Gibson there is a genuine warmth from Collins as she delivers countless personal anecdotes and quotes from the biggest names in Hollywood history.

The evening was simply wonderful, an honest yet highly theatrical insight into the fascinating life of a woman who never played by anyone’s rules but her own. The show is truly a one off and impossible to replicate. My night with Joan is one I will never forget.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Joan attended the London Book Fair at Earl's Court yesterday to launch The Club at The Ivy and to promote her upcoming memoir 'A Passion For Life' on the Constable & Robinson Stand.. Joan also voted for her favourite independent bookseller on the Bag A Book pronotion stand! Here are some photo's from the event!
﻿

GT Stage

Joan Collins

The West End’s must-see diva

Working on GT I’ve done some pretty gay things in my time but it’s just possible that One Night With Joan may have topped the bill.

The one-woman show – celebrating the life and career of Joan Collins – is played for laughs with fantastic comedic timing, while still managing to be an impressive feat in showing off just how much she’s done other than Dynasty (pronounce it how you will, as you’ll discover in the show).

Joan herself plays up the misconception that all she’s ever portrayed is super-soap bitch Alexis by halting the proceedings as the show gets underway with the all-so-familiar theme tune. And so begins two hours of tales from Hollywood, of papier-mache ants and getting Cinzano poured down her twice a year.

Hanging. Off. Every. Word.

Who else has stories of encounters with Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe? Of having worked with Bette Davis? And who else would exasperatedly stop the show with a sigh - while fanning herself - to shout at press photographers snapping away during the first ten minutes.

“Click, click, click! Are you ever going to stop?” she snaps, rolling her eyes and realising the audience are completely on her side. Amazing.

Her life story is accompanied by clips from her many films and TV appearances, as well as a series of incredible photographs which look set to see print later this year.

She still looks utterly fantastic of course (goodness knows how she does it), she keeps the audience in the palm of her hand and ultimately leaves them desperate for more. I could’ve listened to her all night - if the end had been the interval I’d have happily sat for another two hours.

5/5

Get tickets for her London shows here and details of her UK tour here.

Joan Collins is back and currently wowing critics and audience alike with her one woman show “One Night With Joan”, on for a very limited run at the Leicester Square Theatre.

In a two hour show that passed too quickly, this living legend regaled tales from her life, reminding us that whilst Alexis Carrington was the role she is mostly remembered for, she actually studied at RADA before being snapped up by and shipped off to Hollywood. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. This woman showed just why she has lasted so long in show-business.
She is not to be messed with – even the paps who were going overboard with their cameras met her stern side. “Click, click, click! Do you ever stop?” The paparazzi were quickly removed, much to the audience’s delight, who whooped and cheered her off-book rant. Don’t cross the woman who was “The Bitch” – she means business.

Giving a faultless and captivating performance, Joan’s personality shone through from the moment she ran on stage shouting at the stage-hand that it wasn’t the right time to be playing “that clip”, which happened to be the opening credits to Dynasty, to the end where she answered questions from the audience. She is so matter-of-fact and honest, you cannot help but be mesmerized by this woman who took on a chauvinistic, male dominated world in court in the 1980s – and won.

With countless quotes you wished you had thought of, such as “an Emmy nomination is like haemorrhoids – eventually every arsehole gets one”, this absolutely charming evening had the audience laughing so hard, tears rolled. Joan exudes personality, warmth and pep, and she has a natural gift for storytelling, something that was perfectly combined with a backdrop of pictures and clips from her past, family and career. And she is exquisitely beautiful, with skin as flawless as her performance. For someone who has been there, done that and wrote the book on it (several books actually), she has certainly perfected the secret of eternal beauty.

The audience were on their feet with not one, but two standing ovations, both entirely justified, and Joan’s wit, effervescence and ability to not take herself too seriously was as refreshing as a glass of Cinzano, as long as you didn’t end up wearing it, ala Ms Collins. Catch her while you can. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Totally unmissable and utterly delightful.

“One Night with Joan” is on at the Leicester Square Theatre on Friday 26th-Sunday

Joan catches up with old friend Viscountess Rothermere at an 80's party.. Former actress Rothermere, whose real was Patricia Harmsworth went by the nickname Bubbles, due to her love of champagne and parties....

The leading independent web site on British theatre Joan Collins - One Night With Joan

Joan Collins
London International Arts Theatre Ltd
Leicester Square Theatre
From 12 April 2013 to 14 April 2013
Review by Howard Loxton

Joan Collins OBE

“Life is a predator,” says Joan Collins, “You’ve got to eat it before it eats you.” This is one cool diva who seems always prepared and her evening of reminiscences is very carefully constructed. Although she endows her performance with a chatty relaxedness there is nothing spontaneous about it until it reaches its final segment of audience questions.
Beautifully-timed and tightly-scripted, it is a very sophisticated form of the lantern lecture delivered with style. She has assembled a succession of photographs of her many film roles but wittily used them to comment on her life.
Miss Collins does not take herself too seriously but she is very aware of whom she is and wants us to be too, but she also gives us delicious insights, like the occasion when being sued by a publisher trying to reclaim an advance for a book. She was advised by a friend to play it like her role in Dynasty, take her Alexis into the courtroom, complete with shoulder pads, and confound the publisher’s lawyers. She did—and she won.
With show business in the family background, from grandfather Isaac Schwartz who took the name Collins and on her mother’s side, but her agent father didn’t want her to go on the stage—not that that stopped her. She got her first review “Joan Collins is a very believable fairy” while still a tot and she takes us from there via RADA, rep at Margate and the Rank Charm School to Hollywood.
She doesn’t hold back from describing her relations with leading men and other divas, her marriages and her divorces. From Brando to Crawford, Burton to Davis (there is a particularly scathing encounter with her as they filmed The Virgin Queen) it’s an evening packed full of gossip.
“Kissing pipe-smoking Bing Crosby was like kissing an ashtray” is a typical example of her frankness, and she tells us exactly why she didn’t get cast as Cleopatra, complete with a clip of her screen-test. When she gets on to awards, the outspoken actress borrows one of her best lines from director Billy Wilder who told her "awards are like haemorrhoids—sooner or later every asshole gets one."﻿
It is not all a success story. Hollywood can be cruel as an actress gets older and, though Joan Collins did take time out to become a wife and mother, keeping working meant taking roles in a string of horror movies and she is equally frank about tough times. Then a whole new world opened with Dynasty and her character's conflict with co-star Linda Evan’s character is vividly illustrated by clips of their cat fights as well as delighting fans with some out-takes.One Night with Joan is a slick package smoothly delivered. Her husband, theatrical manager Percy Gibson, joins her to conduct the question and answer session, reading out the questions already handed in by the audience who are called on to identify themselves. In this final segment she displays a little more of the person rather than the performer but she is a quick-witted lady who still keeps control.
After touring dates in Northampton, High Wycombe, Guildford, Dartford, Basingstoke, Birmingham, Manchester, St Albans and Bournemouth, One Night With Joan returns for another short run at the Leicester Square Theatre 26–28 April 2013.﻿﻿

To coincide with the upcoming release of 'A Passion For Life', Joan was special guest at this years London Book Fair earlier at Earl's Court. Joan was there to launch The Club at The Ivy... This is a pop up version of the exclusive members club located in the same building as the Legendary restaurant The Ivy.. The club welcomes authors, agents and publishers...